‘We need to get young people thinking positively’: Champion boxer joins forces with anti-knife crime charity

Two-time British champion boxer Denzel Bentley joined an anti-knife crime charity for an outdoor gym session last week ahead of his headline fight on Saturday.

The 29-year-old, who held the British middleweight title from November 2020 to April 2021, met members of the charity Steel Warriors at Langdon Park in east London on Wednesday.

Established in 2017 by founders Ben Wintour and Pia Fontes, Steel Warriors melts down knives taken off the streets and recycles the steel into outdoor street gyms at locations across London, including Langdon Park and Ruskin Park in Denmark Hill.

Mr Bentley said: “It was great meeting everyone. I had just been training but I got a new lease of energy when I arrived and I really enjoyed trying out the gym.”

Christian D’Ippolito, from Steel Warriors, spoke to Mr Bentley about the charity’s values and how they offer the community a free and safe space to get outdoors and train. In return, Mr Bentley taught the class members some boxing skills and drills.

Originally from Battersea, Mr Bentley said: “Growing up in South London was a bit hectic. A lot of my friends were stabbed and some lost their lives.

“As a young person that’s not a place you want to be in.”

At 17 years old Mr Bentley took up boxing.

He said: “I started taking myself to the gym, at the time there was nothing like what Steel Warriors are doing now.

“I had a lot of energy – young people need things to exert their energy and be active. 

“Exercise helps you express yourself and then you don’t have the energy to hang about getting caught up in bad behaviour, you’re too tired and then you’re getting ready to go back and train.”

Knife crime was a central theme to the London mayoral election, which saw Sadiq Khan elected for a historic third term on Saturday. 

Mr Khan previously told Conservative challenger Susan Hall that the capital was not like US TV show The Wire, when she claimed men with machetes roamed the streets.

Mr Bentley said: “A lot of people speaking about knife crime haven’t lived the experience. That makes it easy for young people to look at them and say they don’t understand.”

Mr Bentley said it was important for him to use his platform to raise awareness around the issue.

He said: “I grew up in that environment. I understand and can relate. I managed to turn it around and that might help people see that there is more for them out there.

“It can be a positive influence instead of a negative.”

Mr Bentley said he hoped to see more community engagement from authorities tackling knife crime.

He said: “We need more activities for young people, things like Steel Warriors. They have four spots in London right now. It would be great to see how many outdoor gyms we can make.”

For young South Londoners growing up today, Mr Bentley said: “Just be yourself, don’t be influenced by social media, just be a good person.”

Mr Bentley will take on Danny Dignum on Saturday for the headline fight at York Hall in Bethnal Green.

Pictured top: Denzel Bentley speaks to Christian D’Ippolito at the Steel Warriors session (Picture: Queensberry Promotions)